When Your Dog Eats Your Steak, Make Pizza
by Blossoms and Babies
Summary: This was my entry for the story challenge I proposed for The Sheep Pen which is a Black Sheep Squadron/Baa Baa Black Sheep fan fiction writing group that I administrate on Facebook. The idea was to write a story based on or around the phrase "It's Not Supposed To Be Like This, It's Not Supposed To Happen This Way." In this story Greg's romantic dinner plans get changed by Meatball.


Even after all this time Greg was still amazed by how different things looked after spending years in China, the South Pacific, and a Japanese POW camp. The quiet streets of Greenlawn, Idaho were a complete contrast to the sights, sounds, and smells he had spent years growing accustomed to. The temperature was a comfortable 77 degrees with low humidity, in contrast to the tropical heat he had had to put up with for so many years, and instead of tents or crude native huts the street was lined with brick and wood houses surrounded by neatly trimmed yards landscaped with flower gardens and trees. As he walked home from the recruiting office where he had been working the only thing on his mind was Lauran. The two of them had gone through a lot of changes in the past few months, Greg's release from the POW camp and Lauran flying out to Washington D.C. meet him at the airport shortly afterwards, which resulted in a very emotional and poignant reunion for both of them. A very short engagement had followed leading up to a wedding and a very intimate honeymoon. They had been in the process of getting ready for a romantic dinner when General Moore had called congratulating them on their wedding and apologizing for disturbing them on their honeymoon, but he had a job offer for Greg, if he was interested.

It had turned out that the job was in the small town of Greenlawn, Idaho working at a recruiting office and although Greg hated desk jobs with a passion he wasn't doing anything else employment wise and knowing that he now had Lauran to care for he took General Moore up on his offer. Surprisingly, he was finding out that he actually enjoyed it, talking with the young men about their reasons for being interested in joining the service, what the enlistment process entailed, meeting their families, talking about his military experiences, and unlike some, Greg didn't minimize the dangers and risks that came with serving your country as he had firsthand knowledge of that. He wanted these young men to realize that it wasn't all parades and glory that there was hardship and sacrifice that went with their answering the call of Uncle Sam. On the other hand, although things weren't as chaotic has they'd been during the late 1930's and early 1940's when Greg had been with the AVG and the Marines, the romance and heroism of being in the military was still on young men's minds and some were signing up to impress their girls or because they thought it would be like they had seen in the Saturday matinees at the local movie theater. However, after listening to Greg and thinking about what he told them some had second thoughts and decided that maybe a military career wasn't for them after all. He didn't want to dissuade anyone from military service, but at the same time Greg wanted to give all the young men an accurate portrayal of what it meant to serve in the military and even those who decided against enlisting thanked him for that.

Greg opened the gate in front of the white two story house he and Lauran had recently bought and walked up the front walk. Meatball was lying on the porch sunning himself, despite his advancing years the dog was as agile as he had ever been and jumped up, running down the steps with his tail wagging to meet Greg.

"Miss me?" Greg asked scratching behind the dog's ears.

Meatball gave a burff of acknowledgement and wagged his tail some more before following Greg onto the porch and into the house.

"Lauran, I'm home early," Greg called and upon getting no answer he walked into the dining room and seeing the note on the table picked it up.

Greg, I'm at Dr. Rollins, still not feeling well and I'm worried. They were able to get me in at 1 and I'll run a few errands after that. We can talk about what he said is wrong with me and dinner plans when I get home. Love and kisses Lauran.

Lauran hadn't been feeling good for the past several weeks and although she had been trying to hide it from Greg he could tell that she'd been getting worse and not better. Hopefully, it was nothing serious, but the fact that she admitted to being scared worried him. Lauran had very seldom admitted to being scared even during the war on Vella La Cava and the entire time she'd been anxiously waiting for news after he'd been shot down and taken prisoner she'd never admitted her fears that she might not see him alive again, according what the other Black Sheep had told him after his return home from being held captive all those months.

"There will be no discussion of dinner plans," he said to himself. "I'm going to fix us a romantic, candlelight dinner and then the two of us can spend a quiet evening by ourselves."

He went upstairs and changed into a pair of navy blue shorts and a light blue T shirt, navy socks and white tennis shoes, then going back downstairs he went to the basement and after digging in the big chest freezer he found a couple of rib eye steaks that would be perfect on the grill along with some potatoes and a salad. Bringing those upstairs he put them in the refrigerator. After starting the grill he called down to the Sugar and Spice Bakery and asked to have a strawberry cream layer cake with whipped cream frosting delivered if they had one available. They could have one sent over in 10 minutes and after thanking Mrs. Carson and ending the call Greg went to check the grill, it wasn't quite ready so he began to chop the tomatoes, peppers, onions, carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, and lettuce for the salad. After putting the bowl in the refrigerator he mixed up a salad dressing recipe that Boyle's wife, Kathlynn had given Lauran and sat that next to the salad to chill.

Greg was looking in the drawer of the hutch where Lauran kept the china, table clothes, napkins, candles and candle holders trying to decide which he liked better with the silver candle holders that he had chosen the pale blue or the mint green when there was a knock on the door.

"Hi Mr. Boyington, mom sent me over with the cake, it's five dollars and she wants to know if you want her to put it on your account or pay for it now," Kenneth, Mrs. Carson's 10 year old son, said handing him a box.

"Thanks Kenneth, Greg replied giving him a five dollar bill. "Oh and good luck with your baseball game tomorrow I heard the last time you all played the Swamp Monsters you didn't do so well."

Kenneth nodded. "Yes sir, but we've been practicing really hard since then and I think we stand a good chance of winning this game.

Greg nodded. "Tell your mom thanks for the cake and thank you for bringing it over, I know she's grateful for you to help out with delivering orders."

"I enjoy it, I'll be sure to tell her and you have good afternoon, Mr. Boyington," Kenneth said as he hurried off back to the bakery.

Greg went back inside and decided on the light blue candles and after setting them on the table by the candle holders he put the steaks on the grill. He glanced at the clock, he was doing good time wise, the salad and dressing were chilling, the steaks were on, the cake was in the refrigerator next to the salad, all that was left was him to put the potatoes on and it was too early for that.

He had just sat down to work on some paperwork that he had brought home with him when the phone rang.

"Hi Pappy, it's TJ"

"TJ, good to hear from you," Greg replied. "What's been going on?"

"Well, I just wanted to let you and Lauran know that I passed my medical residency and licensing test and am now officially Dr. Thomas Joseph Wiley."

"Congratulations!" Greg exclaimed. "So where are you going to be practicing?"

"Well I've had several offers and talked with Alessandra, but I haven't committed to anyplace yet, although one of them would put me a few miles from you and Lauran in Rockport Falls."

"Really?" Greg replied.

"If I took that I'd be working with a Dr. Joseph Donaldson for a few months. He's an older doctor who's getting ready to retire and after he shows me the ropes so to speak I'd take over the practice entirely. That would mean I'd be seeing patients in Rockport Falls and about four rural towns surrounding it."

"A small town practice might not be a bad idea to start out with," Greg said. "How did you find out about that position?"

"Do you happen to know a Dr. Jacob Rollins there in Greenlawn?" TJ asked.

"Know him, TJ that's our doctor and as a matter of fact, Lauran had an appointment with him this afternoon I'm waiting for her to get back so we can have dinner."

"He, Dr. Donaldson, and Dr. Bradford, my advisor, all went to medical school together and have remained friends. Dr. Bradford recommended me to Dr. Donaldson and he called me up a few days ago and offered me the position. I told him I'd let him know in a couple weeks."

"What about the other positions?" Greg asked.

"Two are at large university medical centers ones in New York and the other in San Francisco. Then I've had an offer from the Navy to work on a hospital ship stationed in the Pacific near Tulagi, but that puts me back close to the Solomon Islands and I had enough of that when I was with you and the Black Sheep."

Greg chuckled. "I don't blame you if you decline that offer, TJ," he replied.

"And then my advisor also gave everyone a list of areas in the US that have no medical clinics what-so-ever, mostly in the rural areas of the south or the Appalachian Mountains. I'd have to start from the ground up, gain the patient's trust and find away to get my equipment and supplies into those areas where I know the roads are pretty much still nothing more than trails. Although it's a worthwhile undertaking I can't see myself doing that as a brand new doctor."

"I don't think I could either if I were you," Greg said.

"So it looks like Alessandra and I may end up seeing a lot of you and Lauran. I'm going to talk to my advisor tomorrow to confirm some things and answer a few questions that I have and then I'm going to call Dr. Donaldson with my answer this week."

"Let me know what you decide TJ and I hate to end this, but I need to put my steaks on the grill or Lauran will be back and supper won't even be close to being ready."

"I'll let you know my decision and it's been good talking with you Pappy," TJ replied.

After he had hung up, Greg put the potatoes on the grill and put sauce on the steaks. Everything was looking delicious.

"Lauran should be home any minute," Greg said to himself a while later as he brought the steaks and potatoes in and set them on the counter, he tossed the dressing in the salad, set the table, and put the candles in the holders. Just then the phone rang again.

"Hi Greg, I'm not calling at a bad time am I?"

"No, Jim, good to hear from you. Lauran had a doctor's appointment,….no nothing serious just a checkup… so I'm waiting for her to get back and we can have supper I've grilled some steaks, fixed a salad and potatoes, and we have cake for desert.

"I wish Allison and I lived closer that sounds good," Jim remarked.

"I keep telling the two of you to come for a visit," Greg replied.

"I promise this summer if we do nothing else we'll come spend a few weeks," Jim said. "Did TJ call you?"

"Yes and I'm fairly certain that he and Alessandra are going to be moving close to us," Greg replied.

Greg didn't know it, but his plans for a romantic steak dinner were about to be changed. He'd unknowingly left the back door partially open when he'd brought the steaks and potatoes in and Snicker doodle, Madelyn, the neighbor's five year old daughter's kitten had gotten inside and managed to climb up to the top of the Lauran's plant stand and was unable to get down. She looked over the edge at Meatball, mewing pitifully. Meatball started jumping around barking which scared her even more and in the process managed to jump high enough that he knocked the plate with the steaks and potatoes onto the floor.

Greg hearing the commotion ended his call with Jim and went to see what was going on.

"Snicker doodle, how did you manage to get up there?" he said seeing the frightened kitten.

Snicker doodle looked at him and hissed clearly scared and afraid to move.

"It's okay, I'm just going to get you down," he said reaching towards her.

She moved back against the back of the plant stand trying to hide among the pots of philodendrons, ivy, African violets, and lemon balm that Lauran had on the top shelf. Talking softly to her he reached out gently stroking her before carefully picking her up. He held her against him until she calmed down and her distraught mewing was replaced with contented purrs.

"We'll get you back home, I'm sure Madelyn's wondering where you scurried off to," Greg said not yet noticing the plate of food on the floor. Meatball had, but was more interested in watching Greg get the kitten down at the moment than taking advantage of a steak dinner.

Greg carried the kitten outside and looked towards the Pearfield's house to see if Madelyn was outside.

"Snicker doodle where are you?"

Greg could hear Madelyn's voice from the side of her family's backyard.

"She's over here, Madelyn," Greg called. "She decided to pay Meatball and I a visit, climbed up on Mrs. Boyington's plant stand, and couldn't get down."

Madelyn ran over to the small, white picket fence that separated the two yards.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you," she cried. "I've been looking all over and was worried."

Greg handed the kitten to her.

"Well other than being scared from not being able to get down she's fine," Greg assured her.

"Thank you again, Mr. Boyington," Madelyn said giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"You're very welcome Madelyn."

"I'm going to take her inside and put her to bed," Madelyn said before heading across the yard to the house.

"That sounds like a good idea," Greg replied.

Madelyn stopped and waved back at him before going inside with Snicker doodle.

Greg waved back and then went back inside himself.

"MEATBALL, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" he exclaimed.

Meatball was lying on the kitchen floor chewing on one of the steak bones, he had finished off the two baked potatoes and all that remained of those were the pieces of foil that they had been wrapped in. Both the steaks were gone too, with the exception of the bones which he was now enjoying.

"Now what am I going to do?" Greg said to himself picking up the plate that the food had been on and after placing it in the sink he sat down at the kitchen table resting his head on his arms. The romantic dinner that he had planned so carefully was now nonexistent with the exception of the salad and cake.

He got up went to the freezer and got out a frozen sausage pizza that Lauran had brought upstairs the other day in case they needed a quick supper. Putting that in the oven he sat back down looking over at Meatball, who was now asleep in his favorite corner of the kitchen, full and contented from his unexpected meal, and shook his head in amazement that the dog could sleep after that big meal.

Greg was just getting the pizza out of the oven when Lauran walked in.

"I thought we'd decide what to have for supper when I got back home?" she said.

Greg gave her a weak smile.

"Pizza, iced tea, and salad, but that turned out to be plan B."

Lauran looked at him confused.

Greg explained how he'd grilled steaks and baked potatoes, fixed a salad and ordered a cake from Mrs. Carson. Then Snicker doodle had paid a visit and had to be rescued from the plant stand, the steak and potatoes and fallen on the floor and Meatball had ended up enjoying that, which had resulted in a not quite a romantic a supper as he had planned.

"Greg pizza and salad are fine. The fact that you were sweet enough to do this is more important than what you cooked," she told him smiling both from her being touched by his attempt at a romantic dinner and also from the surprise she had for him later.

After supper and desert, Lauran and Greg sat in the living room snuggling on the sofa.

"Lauran, what did you find out from Dr. Rollins?" Greg asked.

"Oh Greg," Lauran started to cry.

"Lauran what is it, are you all right?"

He was starting to get worried himself.

"I'm fine, Greg, in fact I'm overjoyed and I hope you will be too because I'm pregnant."

Greg was too shocked to say anything for a few moments.

"P…P…Pregnant?" he asked.

"Yes as in I'm having a baby; you and I are going to be parents."

He reached over and placed his hand on her abdomen.

"A baby," he said softly.

Lauran nodded.

Greg was silent for several minutes.

"Greg, aren't you happy?"

"Yes, I was just thinking about all the things I'm going to be doing in a few years, playing catch, fishing, baseball, tea parties, building a tree house or play house…..and oh no chasing off boyfriends."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that last one for a long time, Greg." Lauran said. "Besides we won't know for several months if we have a little boy or little girl and the next thing is choosing names."

"Lauran tonight wasn't supposed to be like this, it wasn't supposed to turn out this way, at least as far as the dinner went, but hearing we're having a baby has more than made up for all of that," Greg said as he took her in his arms and kissed her.


End file.
